


Aftermath

by deathishauntedbyhumans



Series: Copper and Brimstone [6]
Category: Copper and Brimstone, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Original Work
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Character Study, Gen, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Original Character(s), Repetition, Self-Reflection, Tieflings, Wrapping Things Up, blood mention, death mention, i am fill with Feelings, i wrote this in like 15 minutes so rip me, that they literally deserve every npc we ever met, the juno relationships aren't really relevant to this i just wanted to make it clear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 02:06:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14486451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathishauntedbyhumans/pseuds/deathishauntedbyhumans
Summary: The campaign has ended, and the character's lives are winding down. While there is less adventure on the horizon (for now), Temerity reflects on what his life used to be, and what it's become.





	Aftermath

The battle is over, and I can see blood dripping from the open wounds on my body, but I do not feel pain. I  _ can’t _ feel pain. 

The battle is over; the battle is won. The  _ war  _ is won, over before it even had a chance to truly begin. Camilla Darlington is dead, her body smeared to bloody, lifeless pulp by the overzealous machine standing over her. The king is dead, felled in the very room that he had certainly planned our demise to be. 

There are tears. Elliot Chudwell is crying. Harriet is crying. I think Juno is crying, but it’s hard to tell amidst the wild red hair they have been engulfed by on either side.

I think I speak. My mouth opens and closes, and words do manage to make their way out.  _ We did it. _ It feels strange and alien to utter sounds, and only moments later, there are large, scaly arms curling around me.  _ We did it _ , Kava repeats. I shut my eyes tightly and nestle into the embrace. We have  _ won _ . 

The coming weeks bring only more emotion. However, it is not  _ all _ bad. Scylla Darlington takes the throne, and while we all find ourselves fearful at first, she proves herself worthy of leading. She pardons us, and begins immediately to turn things around. The reign of fear that was created partially by her mother’s hands is ended, somehow, and although it is not enough to fix all the damage caused, it is a start. 

For now, it’s enough. 

Van insists we accompany him back to his farm, when we finally are set free and cleared. It takes only one look at him to know that I won’t be arguing, so I don’t bother. Instead, I smile and take his hand and accept the invitation. (The look on his face warms the pit of my stomach in a strange way. It would frighten me if it weren’t  _ Van  _ making me feel it.) 

Most of us do part ways eventually. Kava seeks out Sir Alcock, the knight that she met the night of the Masquerade. Somehow, he is still enamoured with her, and although he still looks at me suspiciously whenever we cross paths, he does not question Kava’s judgement of me. 

Juno leaves with Kava, although they don’t stay with her long. Instead, they take up their position at Blue Harry’s, performing nightly in the club. The thought of them up on stage amuses me; I’m proud of them, although I refuse to say as much aloud.

I stay with Van longer than the rest, and even when I leave, I don’t  _ really  _ leave. I’ve been on the move for so long I don’t really know how to do anything else, but there’s something…  _ something _ about Van and his home that keep me coming back. His smile whenever I arrive never fails to draw one from me in return, no matter what I might be feeling at the time. 

Kava insists we all keep in touch. She writes long letters to both myself and Van, and I assume to Juno as well. My letters aren’t as lengthy, not by a long shot, but she never complains. 

I care about her. We have our differences, and I can’t pretend to not hate her patron god, but I don’t hate  _ her _ . I don’t really know if I ever truly did… but I can’t change the things I said in the past. I can only move forward from where I am now, and hope that it can be enough. 

I think of Idna more than I want to admit. She was brought in for questioning, alongside her stepfather, although eventually she did manage to simper her way out of any sort of true punishment. It makes me angry, but there’s a sadness, too. I don’t like thinking about her, but that doesn’t make the thought of her go away. If anything, it only makes it more real. I’ve thought about seeking her out, questioning her… challenging her to some sort of fight. I’m not above it; Camilla Darlington’s remains are a testament to that. But… I don’t think it’s worth it. She got what she got, and I did what I did, regardless of what she meant or didn’t mean to me. 

If she ever meets me in a dark alley, though, I can’t promise I’ll be nice. 

I’m not the same child who ran from his father’s home with stolen coin all those years ago. I’m still growing, and changing, and becoming… better. Better than he was. Better than I used to be. Someday, I  _ will  _ **_be_ ** better. But until then… I’m me. I’m Temerity, and that’s all I can be. I have friends now. They… care about me. Maybe they even love me. And I… love them. 

For now, it’s enough. 

**Author's Note:**

> FUCK 
> 
> I still can't believe CaB is over,,,, fuck
> 
> Juno belongs to @sarcastic-skeptic on tumblr  
> Kava belongs to @mushygreens on tumblr  
> Van belongs to @dennibun on tumblr  
> Tem is mine ;)   
> Every other mentioned character belongs to @bagobats on tumblr


End file.
